25 years ago: March 9, 1985

Two Cape Girardeau businessmen were honored last night at the annual Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce dinner for their contributions to the community; Paul L. Ebaugh was recipient of the Golden Deeds Award, and Melvin J. Van de Ven was named the winner of the Go-Getter Award.

WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- The Southeast Missouri State University Indians knocked off Delta State 67-59 Friday to capture the Division II South Central Regional championship at the Central Missouri State University Multipurpose Building; the tribe will play a national quarter-final game next weekend at Houck Field House against Jacksonville (Alabama) State.

50 years ago: March 9, 1960

A new snowfall, measuring upward of 7 inches, blankets the Southeast Missouri district, closing many schools for the second time in a week and snarling highway and street traffic; it brings the snowfall in Cape Girardeau for the season to 24 1/4 inches, practically all of which has fallen in the past two weeks.

The Rev. Henry J. Strickert, for 27 years the pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church at Tilsit and prominent in the ministry of the Missouri Synod for more than 40 years, dies unexpectedly at his Jackson home; he was 74 years old.

75 years ago: March 9, 1935

John M. Cotner and James H. Adams of Jackson and Edward J. Fischer of Altenburg own about 3,000 acres in the area that is tentatively chosen as a state park site in the northeastern part of the county; some highly productive land lies in that area, but most of it is too rugged and broken to permit much cultivation.

Dr. Dennis Elrod of St. Louis, while in Cape Girardeau to visit his parents Mr. and Mrs. U.R. Elrod, says he may decide to locate here to practice medicine; he is a resident physician at City Hospital in St. Louis.

100 years ago: March 9, 1910

After examining the plans and specifications for a new jail at Jackson, the County Court approved them and ordered the clerk to advertise for bids for the jail building and cell.

Sam Sherman, a son of the most prominent merchant of Fredericktown, Mo., has moved to Cape Girardeau and is associated with the Caldwell brothers in the mercantile business.

-- Sharon K. Sanders